February 2006

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For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org

TELEVISION
DTV Bill Signed Into Law
MAP Demands FCC Consider Public Interest in Digital Transition
NTCA: Rurals Fight for IP Video Franchising Freedom
Comcast to telecoms: Bring it on!
Golden Oldies
The Hard Sell
Why HDTV is getting a fuzzy reception
Lobbyist Leaves Mouse House for Own House

INTERNET/BROADBAND
Broadband law rewrite planned for 2006
BellSouth: Let providers give preferential service
FCC Takes Wait-and-See Approach On Fees For Fast Content
Good Fences Make Bad Broadband
Telecom, Cable Firms Push For Flexibility In 'Net Neutrality' Model
Google's newest search tool raises privacy concerns
Despite Web Crackdown, Prevailing Winds Are Free
Yahoo Gave China Data for Second Jailing

SPECTRUM POLICY
As Satellite Firms Move to Add Cellular Service, Critics Cry Foul

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Spanish Broadcaster Open for Bidding

QUICKLY -- CBS Lets Viewers Pick News; Cuts send=20
ed-tech programs reeling; A Plug for $100 Laptops

TELEVISION

DTV BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
With President Bush making the DTV transition=20
hard date a reality with a signing ceremony=20
Wednesday of a larger budget bill, the Benton=20
Foundation is now pushing for a commitment to new=20
DTV-related public interest obligations. Benton=20
is a member of the FCC's Consumer Advisory=20
Committee (CAC). On Nov. 18, the committee=20
approved recommendations for new broadcast public=20
interest obligations in the digital age that=20
include setting quantifiable obligations and=20
disclosure requirements. Among the recommended=20
obligations are diversity of DTV programming=20
providers, outlets and employment, closed=20
captioning and video description. "The actions --=20
and billions of dollars -- set in motion by the=20
President's signature will all be for naught,"=20
said Charles Benton Wednesday,"if the FCC=20
continues to ignore the compact between local=20
broadcasters and the communities they are=20
licensed to serve. Now is the time for the FCC to=20
get its act together and to complete its work."=20
National Association of Broadcasters President=20
David Rehr praised the bill's passage: "With=20
today's enactment of the budget reconciliation=20
bill and its digital television provisions, we=20
have crossed an important threshold. NAB is=20
pleased that Congress adopted many pro-consumer=20
DTV measures in the legislation, and we're=20
encouraged that the bill thwarted cable industry=20
attempts to degrade the quality of HDTV pictures to consumers."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6305689.html?display=3DBreaki...
News&referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* Benton has produced a handy timeline for the=20
DTV transition, which can be found at=20
http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dnode/1257
* Bush Signs Bill Ending Analog TV
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6305856.html?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)

MAP DEMANDS FCC CONSIDER PUBLIC INTEREST IN DIGITAL TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Media Access Project]
MAP demands FCC consider cost to public of=20
granting new spectrum rights to broadcasters as=20
part of the digital transition. Before granting=20
broadcasters to increase their coverage using=20
digital television distributed transmission=20
system (DTS) technology, the FCC should complete=20
its pending proceedings on public interest=20
obligations for digital broadcasters and access=20
by the public to broadcast "white spaces."
http://www.mediaaccess.org/DTS%20Comments.pdf

NTCA: RURALS FIGHT FOR IP VIDEO FRANCHISING FREEDOM
[SOURCE: Telecommunications Online, AUTHOR: Bob Wallace]
The leadership of the National Telecommunications=20
Cooperative Association (NTCA) detailed plans at=20
their annual meeting to file documents with the=20
FCC early next week that recommend changes in=20
current video franchising processes. The changes=20
are designed to benefit members who plan to, or=20
already, offer video services, such as IPTV. The=20
changes sought by the NTCA are focused on=20
simplifying and streamlining the cumbersome=20
process, while making it less expensive. Their=20
bigger telco competitors, such as Verizon, are=20
seeking to speed their IPTV deployments by=20
securing franchises on anything but a=20
municipality-at-a-time pace. But while rurals=20
don't have region or nationwide IPTV aspirations,=20
they=92re similar in that their seeking changes in=20
franchising. =93We=92re with the FCC in favor of=20
promoting video competition and advanced=20
technology services,=94 said Dan Mitchell, vice=20
president of legal affairs for the NTCA. =93The=20
rest hinges on whether the FCC can issue=20
mandatory or permissive franchising guidelines to=20
local authorities. We believe they can offer=20
permissive guidelines.=94 The later issue will=20
likely be decided soon by the FCC in a highly anticipated rule making.
http://www.telecommagazine.com/newsglobe/article.asp?HH_ID=3DAR_1708

COMCAST TO TELECOM: BRING IT ON!
[SOURCE: CNN|Money, AUTHOR: Paul R. La Monica]
Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of Comcast, which=20
ended 2005 with 21.5 million subscribers, said=20
that he doesn't worry about competition from the=20
phone companies. Instead, he said the biggest=20
challenge is from satellite TV companies like=20
DirecTV and EchoStar. Roberts, speaking at the=20
Media Summit New York conference, had especially=20
harsh words for Verizon, which has begun offering=20
television programming in some of Comcast's=20
markets through a fiber-optic service called=20
FiOS. "I think it does not show any economic=20
promise," Roberts said, when asked about=20
Verizon's efforts. "In the last 10 years, it has=20
not gotten cheaper to string fiber optics to the=20
home." He predicted that Verizon would wind up=20
spending "gobs of money" to be only a fourth-tier player in video.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/08/news/companies/comcast/
* YOU LIKE GOOGLE? YOU=92LL LOVE COMCAST
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Abbey Klaassen]
http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=3D47808

GOLDEN OLDIES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Peter Chernin, News Corp]
[Commentary] Traditional media is not dead. In=20
fact, our companies are leading the charge into=20
the networked digital future. The media industry=20
stands at the dawn of a new golden age -- fueled=20
on the demand side by ever-more discerning=20
consumers, and on the supply side by fresh=20
thinking, new products and oceans of new content.=20
Our businesses were built on our ability to=20
enlighten, entertain and educate -- whether=20
through the pages of a novel, the images on a=20
screen, or the facts in a news broadcast. We=20
exist to connect masses of people with compelling=20
content. Yet throughout history, our power to=20
achieve that mass connection has been limited by=20
distribution constraints -- prohibitive costs,=20
hard-to-reach locations, sluggish technology,=20
etc. Even as media companies grew and thrived,=20
complete access to a truly global audience was=20
long out of reach. We can now reach almost=20
anyone, anywhere, at any time, through a wide=20
variety of devices. This new reality of=20
ubiquitous low-cost distribution gives us more=20
ways than ever to tell our stories and get them=20
to an audience. The mass digital conversion of=20
the past 10 years puts consumers at the very=20
heart of media. They program. They timeshift.=20
They manipulate. And perhaps most significantly,=20
they interact and engage -- they have been=20
liberated from the constraints of the old analog=20
world. That liberated consumer is bringing about=20
what can and should be the golden age for the so-called old media.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113945405858969177.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
nion
(requires subscription)

THE HARD SELL
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable 2/6, AUTHOR: Kevin Downey]
Not all television ratings are equal. It may=20
sound like a broken record, but when it comes to=20
the prices that advertisers pay to reach ethnic=20
viewers -- notably Hispanics, Asians and=20
African-Americans -- the cost is often far less=20
than it is for a comparably sized audience in the=20
general market. What's surprising is that, while=20
this cost disparity has been commonplace for=20
years, it is growing more pronounced in some=20
cases, even as the nation's Hispanics,=20
African-Americans and Asians develop distinct=20
media outlets and markets. Hispanics, for=20
instance, now account for more than 14% of the=20
population and 9% of disposable income, according=20
to a study released in November by the=20
Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies. But=20
Spanish-language media accounted for only 2.9% of=20
ad spending in the first nine months of 2005,=20
based on data from ad-tracking firm TNS Media Intelligence.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6304951.html?display=3DSpecia...
eport&referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

WHY HDTV IS GETTING FUZZY RECEPTION
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Gregory M. Lamb]
Some tech toys such as iPods and digital cameras=20
have swept into American households with=20
breathtaking speed. But despite a yearly spike in=20
interest around the Super Bowl, high-definition=20
televisions (HDTVs) just haven't had the same=20
impact. While nearly everyone has heard of HDTV,=20
only 15 percent of American families have bought=20
one since their introduction in the late 1990s,=20
according to Ipsos Insight, a market research=20
firm. Worse yet, only 15 percent more are=20
seriously considering buying one in the near=20
future. What's holding back the other 70 percent?=20
Prices that can soar well into the four digits=20
and suspicion that they are going to drop sharply=20
are big factors. So are hidden hassles. For=20
instance, getting an HDTV set to actually display=20
a high-definition picture involves a process that=20
a surprisingly large number of people either=20
don't know about or don't bother with. And for=20
many, the value of a fantastic picture that's=20
available on just a few special HDTV channels=20
hasn't outweighed the cost and frustrations.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0209/p13s01-stct.html

LOBBYIST LEAVES MOUSE HOUSE FOR OWN HOUSE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Judy Sarasohn]
Disney's lobbyist Mitch Rose is leaving the=20
company this week to open his own shop, and he=20
already has an enviable book of business=20
representing the National Cable and=20
Telecommunications Association, the Motion=20
Picture Association of America, Comcast, and=20
Sprint Nextel. Rose, who was passed over to head=20
the National Association of Broadcasters last=20
year, is close to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska),=20
chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, who=20
can wield enormous influence over broadcast and=20
cable issues on the Hill. Rose was Stevens's=20
chief of staff before he left for the private=20
sector in 2000, and Sen Stevens made it known=20
that he wanted his former aide to get the NAB=20
job. The broadcast industry is trying to secure=20
"must-carry" legislation that would require cable=20
TV operators to carry all of their digital=20
programming. Also, Stevens is considering=20
legislation that would affect cable on a broad=20
array of issues, including local market access=20
and a tax on cable-modem service to fund broadband in rural areas.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/08/AR200602...
2174.html
(requires registration)

INTERNET/BROADBAND

BROADBAND LAW REWRITE PLANNED FOR 2006
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton=20
(R-TX) said he hopes to propose a "comprehensive"=20
overhaul of the nation's telecommunications laws=20
-- with an intensive focus on the explosion of=20
the Internet -- later this month. Rep Barton said=20
he didn't want to wait for the Senate to act=20
before moving forward on legislation. "We don't=20
have that many legislative days this year, so it=20
is time to stop talking, and it is time to start=20
working," he said. Because 2006 is a=20
congressional election year, the legislative=20
body's schedule will likely be somewhat fractured.
http://news.com.com/Broadband+law+rewrite+planned+for+2006/2100-1028_3-6...
677.html?tag=3Dnefd.top

BELLSOUTH: LET PROVIDERS GIVE PREFERENTIAL SERVICE
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Grant Gross, IDG News Service]
Broadband providers need the right to enter into=20
commercial agreements that allow some Web sites=20
to perform better than rival sites, said Bennett=20
Ross, BellSouth's general counsel, speaking at=20
the State of the 'Net conference in Washington,=20
D.C. He said BellSouth, as the owner of a=20
broadband network, should be able to charge extra=20
for one search engine to return faster results=20
than others that customers want to go to. Others=20
at the event, including "father" of the Internet=20
Vinton Cerf, called on the U.S. Congress to pass=20
a so-called net neutrality law, which would allow=20
broadband customers to access any legal Web=20
content and services and attach any legal device=20
they want, while prohibiting broadband providers=20
from giving their partners preferential service.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/02/08/75190_HNbellsouth_1.html?source=
=3Drss&url=3Dhttp://www.infoworld.com/article/06/02/08/75190_HNbellsouth_1.=
html

FCC TAKES WAIT-AND-SEE APPROACH ON FEES FOR FAST CONTENT
[SOURCE: Dow Jones, AUTHOR: Siobhan Hughes Siobhan.Hughes( at ) dowjones.com]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin=20
Martin said Wednesday that the agency is taking a=20
wait-and-see approach as the traditional phone=20
companies suggest that they may charge online=20
content providers such as Google for priority=20
delivery over high-speed networks. "I think that=20
the issue of whether or not the carriers can=20
actually charge any of the content providers," he=20
said, "has come up recently. The commission=20
hasn't spoken to it; I think the commission is=20
still trying to evaluate what that is." Chairman=20
Martin's comments to reporters came after he=20
spoke at a conference convened by the American=20
Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C., think=20
tank. "This isn't just not responding," he said,=20
"but rather waiting to see what actions actually=20
end up being taken." Chairman Martin said that,=20
"I think that the marketplace is still evolving."
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=3D5ed7f74067d66cec&cat=3D9...
9ff930280175
* Martin: Web Models Still Evolving
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6305852.html?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)

GOOD FENCES MAKE BAD BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: John Windhausen Jr]
A new White Paper from Public Knowledge is a=20
primer and advocate for Net Neutrality. The paper=20
not only lays out the arguments for=20
nondiscrimination in broadband service, it also=20
addresses the major arguments against Network=20
Neutrality. It also includes draft language for policymakers.
http://www.publicknowledge.org/content/papers/pk-net-neutrality-whitep-2...
0206

TELECOM, CABLE FIRMS PUSH FOR FLEXIBILITY IN 'NET NEUTRALITY' MODEL
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
A recap of the Senate Commerce Committee hearing.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-TCHR1139432623611.html
* Battle Lines Drawn in Net Neutrality Debate
[SOURCE: newsfactor.com, AUTHOR: Jay Wrolstad]
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20060208/tc_nf/41517
* Senate looks at network neutrality and likes it
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060208-6139.html
* Senators Mull an Internet With Restrictions
[SOURCE: The Nation, AUTHOR: Celia Viggo Wexler & Dawn Holian]
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060220/wexler
* Lawmakers struggle with how neutral networks should be
http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/38223-1.html?CMP=3DOTC-RSS

GOOGLE'S NEWEST SEARCH TOOL RAISES PRIVACY CONCERNS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Jefferson Graham]
Internet search giant Google today unveils Google=20
Desktop 3, the latest version of software that=20
helps users find files on personal computers. A=20
new feature can track data from multiple PCs. To=20
do that, it copies personal text files to Google=20
servers, which eventually route them back to the=20
PCs. Previous versions merely indexed files,=20
without storing copies at Google. But online=20
privacy advocacy group Electronic Frontier=20
Foundation worries about Google extending its=20
reach. =93We think this is an enormous privacy risk=20
for users who choose to utilize it,=94 says EFF=20
attorney Fred von Lohmann. For Von Lohmann, the=20
reality of what's on your computer -- and=20
potentially on Google servers -- outweighs=20
convenience. =93Unless you go to the trouble of=20
configuring Google Desktop carefully, it will=20
cough up your tax returns, medical and financial=20
records, and any other text files you happen to have.=94
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20060209/1b_google09.art.htm

DESPITE WEB CRACKDOWN, PREVAILING WINDS ARE FREE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Howard French]
For months now, the news about the news in China=20
has been awful. Carrying out its vow to tighten=20
controls over what it calls "propaganda," the=20
government of President Hu Jintao has busied=20
itself closing publications, firing editorial=20
staffs and jailing reporters. More noticeably,=20
the government has clamped down on the Internet,=20
closing blogger sites, filtering Web sites and=20
e-mail messages for banned words and tightening=20
controls on text messages. If the Internet is at=20
the center of today's struggle over press=20
freedom, it is only the latest in a series of=20
fights that the government has so far always=20
lost. Under the veneer of resolute state control,=20
one sector after another, including book=20
publishing, newspapers and magazines, has=20
undergone a similar process of de facto=20
liberalization, often in the face of official=20
hostility. The first wave came in book=20
publishing, where beginning in the 1980's censors=20
found themselves unable to suppress books that=20
were critical of state policy or expressed=20
divergent views on ideological matters. A big=20
part of the reason for the weakening of the=20
censors was the introduction of a market economy,=20
where publishers had to seek profits to support=20
their activities. Turgid, politically correct=20
books that delighted the censors sold poorly, so=20
profit-seeking publishers sought to get bolder,=20
often provocative writing into print. Changes in=20
the news media have also been driven by profit=20
motives. With the state ending its subsidies for=20
most publishing companies, publications have=20
sought ways to build readership. Saucy=20
entertainment and sports journalism have been big=20
hits for many magazines and newspapers. Others,=20
though, have hit on the idea of public affairs,=20
uncovering corruption and writing about=20
environmental problems and social inequality. As=20
the readers' appetite for this kind of news has=20
grown, the government has been hard pressed to=20
force the genie back into the bottle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/international/asia/09letter.html
(requires registration)

PRESS-FREEDOM GROUP SAYS YAHOO GAVE CHINA DATA FOR SECOND JAILING
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Kevin J. Delaney kevin.delaney( at )wsj.co=
m]
Press-freedom group Reporters Without Borders=20
said Yahoo supplied personal data about a user in=20
China to Chinese police, leading to the=20
dissident's jailing in 2003. This is the second=20
such allegation that Yahoo has faced recently. A=20
Yahoo spokeswoman said the company is "unaware of=20
this case." She said the Chinese government=20
didn't typically inform service providers why it=20
was requesting information about users and said=20
Yahoo was "rigorous" in making sure it provided=20
only the material legally required in such cases.=20
"We balance the requirement to comply with the=20
laws in a country that may not be consistent with=20
our values, and our conviction that our active=20
involvement in China contributed to the continued=20
modernization of the country," the spokeswoman said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113944196811768844.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)

SPECTRUM POLICY

AS SATELLITE FIRMS MOVE TO ADD CELLULAR SERVICE, CRITICS CRY FOUL
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jesse Drucker jesse.drucker( at )wsj.com]
The Federal Communications Commission ruled that=20
Mobile Satellite Ventures, a tiny=20
telecommunications company offering service on=20
bulky satellite phones, can use the license for=20
its slice of the airwaves, known as spectrum, for=20
more than just satellite service. MSV can use it=20
for cellular calling as well, or to provide other=20
services such as wireless access to the Internet.=20
Critics say something is wrong with this picture.=20
"The FCC's giveaway=85 to satellite providers like=20
MSV was an outrage," charges J.H. Snider, a=20
director of research for the New America=20
Foundation, a Washington think tank. "It was like=20
the federal government leasing mining rights to=20
federal lands and later throwing in oil rights=20
for free." Existing cellular-service providers=20
that were threatened with new competition also=20
have objected. They have said that if the FCC=20
wanted the satellite operators' radio spectrum to=20
get wider use, the agency should retrieve it and=20
re-offer it to cash bidders. Satellite operators=20
counter that giving them additional rights would=20
benefit consumers, by providing more=20
telecommunications choices and potentially better=20
cellphone coverage. The controversy spotlights a=20
new twist in the long-running debate over the=20
lucrative market in radio-wave spectrum, which=20
carries signals for everything from cellphone=20
calls to TV broadcasts to baby monitors and garage-door openers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113945404340369175.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
e_one
(requires subscription)

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

SPANISH BROADCASTER OPEN FOR BIDDING
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Steven=20
Levingston, Ben White and Krissah Williams]
With the announcement that Univision, the largest=20
Spanish-language TV broadcaster in the United=20
States, has put itself up for sale, Hispanic=20
advocacy groups expressed concern yesterday about=20
the potential transfer of a Spanish-language=20
company into the hands of a traditional American=20
media organization. "Our polling does show that=20
Hispanic media consumers view Spanish media as a=20
more reliable barometer and a more accurate=20
reflection than what is shown on mainstream=20
media," said Thomas Oliver, executive director of=20
the Washington-based National Association of=20
Hispanic Publications. Hispanics rely more than=20
ever on Spanish-language media for news, said=20
John Trasvina, senior vice president for law and=20
policy at the Mexican American Legal Defense and=20
Educational Fund in Los Angeles. Trasvina said=20
the fund will monitor any potential sale as it=20
undergoes the scrutiny of federal regulators.=20
"Any future acquirer of this precious community=20
asset should ensure that Univision's role in the=20
growing Latino community is maintained and=20
expanded," he said. In 2001, NBC bought the=20
nation's second largest Spanish-language=20
broadcaster, Telemundo. Lisa Navarrete, spokesman=20
for National Council of La Raza, one of the=20
nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and=20
advocacy groups, said the merger has allowed=20
Telemundo access to NBC resources and has helped=20
the broadcaster beef up its news and public=20
affairs programming. Wall Street analysts are=20
worried too about the ability of large media=20
companies to buy Univision because of ownership=20
restrictions. Mark Fratrik, a media analyst at=20
Chantilly-based BIA Financial Network, said "I'm=20
a little wary about who can actually buy the=20
company. It's possible to ask for waiver from the=20
FCC, but that would be a tough battle."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/08/AR200602...
2371.html
(requires registration)

QUICKLY

DEAR VIEWER, PICK YOUR NEWS. YOURS TRULY, CBS
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Jim Sullivan]
In another indicator of how far TV news has=20
traveled from the days of Walter Cronkite, CBS=20
Friday night unveils "You Choose, Steve Hartman=20
Reports" on the "CBS Evening News with Bob=20
Schieffer.'' Last Friday, viewers were given=20
three story choices: Do-It-Yourself Funerals, The=20
Jerk-o-Meter, and The Smallest Town in America.=20
Viewers had until Monday at 2 p.m. to vote; the=20
winner will air Friday night. (They'll get three=20
more stories to vote on during the broadcast.)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0209/p17s02-altv.html

CUTS SEND ED-TECH PROGRAMS REELING
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Robert Brumfield]
President Bush's 2007 budget proposal would cut=20
the main source of federal funding for school=20
technology out of the budget entirely--but state=20
and local school leaders already are grappling=20
with a sharp reduction in ed-tech funding this=20
fiscal year. The cuts are likely to affect poor=20
urban and rural districts most acutely, because=20
these are the districts most in need of continued=20
funding to support existing technology initiatives, educators say.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=3D6102

A PLUG FOR THE UNPLUGGED $100 LAPTOP COMPUTER FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Prof Hal R. Varian]
[Commentary] How could $100 laptops be used to=20
fuel local economies in developing countries? A=20
laptop could serve as a cash register, an ATM=20
machine, a way to record and preserve contracts=20
and other legal documents, and it can help people become literate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/business/09scene.html
(requires registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
news summary service provided by the Benton=20
Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday=20
through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
important industry developments, policy issues,=20
and other related news events. While the=20
summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
informal tone does not always represent the tone=20
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled=20
by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
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